Under the Microscope: Columbia's sewer system and cooking with marijuana in Colorado

Columbia's sewer system is aging and deteriorating. The city council took steps to address the problem, but not without controversy.

KBIA's Grant Suneson took a look into the problems that are facing downtown sewers.

Credit KBIA

When Colorado legalized recreational marijuana use... it opened up the sale of food products infused with the drug to everyone over the age of 21. That means a whole new set of bakers and food companies have to ensure their products aren’t contaminated with salmonella or norovirus, and that they’re not falling in to the hands of children or too potent to eat. Harvest public media's Luke Runyon looks at how they do that.

Related Content

Seventeen million gallons of waste flow through Columbia's sewers every day. Beneath the streets, large metal pipes snake and twist their way across the city.

Ultimately, they wind their way to Columbia's wastewater treatment plant in the southwest part of the city. Altogether, Columbia has about 695 miles of sewer pipes servicing the city. That's longer than a round trip to Chicago.